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Calgraz
Calgraz is one of the surviving death knights of the Old Horde. With no place for him in modern Horde society, Calgraz keeps to himself, scheming on how to advance his own power, and more importantly, survive. The Valley Early Life Calgraz was born roughly 26 years before the creation of the Horde to the shaman Calthrak and his mate, Gerza, a craftswoman, both of whom lived and raised their son in Shadowmoon Village. Calgraz's birth was a difficult one, and as a result Gerza was unable to produce any more children; Calgraz remained a single child. His first years of life were good as per orcish standards: he ate well, and had a solid enough home. As a child Calgraz was reserved, albeit eager to please. Calthrak had notable healing skills, and as a result he was often busy with his duties. Calgraz was always fascinated by his father's powers, though he spent most of his early years alongside his mother. Gerza was a nuturing and loving woman, teaching her son about her trade and the ways of the Shadowmoon. Although Calgraz had little interest in crafting, he enjoyed the company of his mother and respected her enough to do what she wished of him. Calgraz saw Calthrak often, but never for too long at a time, with only a few notable exceptions. Calgraz was fascinated with the tales of battle his father would provide, and even more interested in his father's powers and his ability to commune with the spirits. He was eventually introduced to Korbis Blackblade, a warrior of the Shadowmoon who fought alongside his father. He had originally sworn loyalty to Calthrak at a young age after he was saved by Calthrak's healing abilities, though it quickly developed into a friendship forged in battle. Not long after Calgraz turned twelve, Calthrak and Korbis were asked to attend a Kosh'harg festival, to take place in the next spring. He accepted, and brought his mate and son; the journey to Oshu'gun would be the farthest Calgraz had traveled from his home, and the first time he left Shadowmoon Valley. Calgraz was nervous to leave home, though eager to meet orcs of other clans; before that, he had only known stories of them. After a day of the chieftains and their subordinates discussing important matters, Calthrak and several other shamans, each from different clans, gathered several young orcs – Calgraz included – to venture into the mountain itself, in order to test their shamanistic potential. Out of the five children there, Calgraz was the only one who could commune with the ancestral spirits, to no surprise of his father. After a brief congratulations from his father, Calgraz left to enjoy the festivities of the Kosh'harg. He was eventually approached by one of his peers from the trial in Oshu'gun, a boy, roughly the same age as Calgraz, from the Warsong Clan. He introduced himself as Zakruul and congratulated Calgraz on his accomplishment. While Zakruul, living fairly close to Oshu'gun, attended most of the Kosh'hargs that occurred during his lifetime, this was Calgra'z first major interaction with an orc from another clan. The two shared polite conversations and stories together until the festival started to die down. The two agreed to meet at the next Kosh'harg in two years. Calgraz was fascinated to see so many orcs from so many different clans in one place, and rather enjoyed the experience. He spent the journey back home in anticipation for his shamanistic training to come. Pebbles and Sparks When Calgraz returned home to Shadowmoon Village, the life he had been eagerly anticipating had finally arrived; he learned the basis of shamanism from the elders of the clan. And when the elders were preoccupied, he learned how to fight from the clan's veteran warriors. Korbis Blackblade, too, often trained Calgraz, admiring Calthrak's son and seeing Calgraz as a nephew of sorts. When Calgraz was four years away from his Om'riggor, his father, Calthrak, was nearing middle age. With a new generation of shaman arriving to aid the clan's warriors in battle, Calthrak was allowed to spend most of his time in Shadowmoon Village, tending to wounded warriors for the most part. He now had plenty of time to spend with his adolescent son, who by now was able to cast minor spells. Calgraz did not display the same aptitude for healing that his father did, though was nevertheless accomplished for a shaman of his young age. Calgraz was no longer the shy orcling he was years ago. Hardened from rough training and the labors of orcish life, his muscles hardened, his eyes darkened. He greatly respected his father, as both a teacher and a parent, but pleasing him was not his sole concern. Calgraz desired his own lot in life, his own name, his own path to glory. But such were childish aspirations, and Calgraz had a long way to go before he was even an adult. With Calthrak only having so much time to train his son, Calgraz had found plenty of free time for himself. With the clan not entrusting many responsibilities on a young orc, Calgraz took it upon himself to continue honing his physical abilities, often training with his warrior peers, or old warriors from the clan who were no longer called to fight. Over time, Calgraz would gain considerable skills with the axe and spear, at least for a shaman of his age. Filled with a sense of pride -- the Shadowmoon Clan, as far as Calgraz was concerned, was the most important clan -- Calgraz eagerly trained to serve his people as well as he could. He had aspirations to become a great figure in the Shadowmoon's military forces, to earn a reputation greater than his father's; through blood and thunder, not the restorative tides of healing magic. Dead enemies spoke louder than sealed wounds was Calgraz's line of thinking at the time. Through determination and connection through the spirits, Calgraz was a capable shaman by the time he reached age twenty. He had not seen combat -- that is, unless one considers hunting parties combat -- and would soon have to prove himself as an adult. In the official orcish matter, Calgraz was sent into the wilds with nothing but a single weapon of his choice. In Calgraz's case, he brought a large dagger on his Om'riggor; fashioned from gronn bone, it was an adulthood gift from his mother. Eventually finding the tracks of a adult talbuk, Calgraz used his skills to track it. A few hours later, he honed in for the kill, painting his face with its blood as tradition stated. Returning to Shadowmoon Village, his kill was verified by the elder shaman, and he was afterwards deemed a full member of the Shadowmoon Clan in a ceremony conducted by Ner'zhul, the chieftain. Calgraz's own parents were very proud of him; while they never doubted his capability to complete the Om'riggor, they were nevertheless happy to see their only child become an adult. After enjoying a feast prepared by his mother, Calgraz spent his last night as a child. The next morning, he would report to the older shamans and do whatever they commanded. Rise of the Horde Earth and Lightning The commanding shamans saw Calgraz's lust for glory in battle, and given his capability, did not see it fit to deny him. Calgraz spent the next few years of his life fighting alongside the Shadowmoon warriors, mostly against ogre raiders and encroaching arakkoa. Calgraz was rarely injured, and deaths among the Shadowmoon warriors was quite rare; the draenei had a heavy presence in the Shadowmoon Valley, and the savage beings of Draenor knew better than to provoke their holy wrath. That would change, however, when Calgraz attended another Kosh'harg festival. He had attended several in the past few years, always meeting Zakruul and other orcs from various clans, large and small, across Draenor. The festival went as well as any; Calgraz and Zakruul swapped battle stories (though Zakruul's tended to be bloodier and more intense) and the chieftains spoke among themselves of their various concerns for orcish society. What set that Kosh'harg apart from the previous, however, was that the Warsong elder shaman announced that the Warsong Clan was in need of shamans; that year was a particularly difficult one for the Warsong clan, with ogre coastal raids at their highest in recent times. He requested that several shamans from the other clans fight alongside the Warsong until the next generation of shamans could be trained. Shortly after the announcement, Korbis approached Calgraz, suggesting that he take up the offer to prove himself in battle. Calgraz, encouraged by Korbis and spurred on by Zakruul's tales of battle, was one of the first to volunteer. While he was loyal to the Shadowmoon Clan, Calgraz truly desired a chance to prove himself in battle: battle that had killed many of the Warsong's young shamans. Calgraz sent his goodbyes to his father, who also attended the Kosh'harg, and traveled with Zakruul back to the Warsong village in Nagrand. The Warsong's grunts were far more brutal than the Shadowmoon's, and the open fields of Nagrand called for a different fighting style. In his time with the Warsong, Calgraz not only became proficient in axes, but also learned to ride a worg into battle. He stayed at Zakruul's side; while Zakruul did not have the shamanistic powers of Calgraz, he was a skilled and fit warrior in his own right. The two made a good team, earning their share of grog and scars together for several months. The two went from acquaintances to good friends, a bond forged in the fires of war. They fought against ogre coastal raiders, who landed on southern Nagrand. When the next generation of Warsong Shamans came of age a few months later, Calgraz imparted his wisdom on them before traveling back to Shadowmoon, on a gray-brown worg gifted to him by one of the Warsong raiders. The worg was named Ashfang, a homage to the color of its coat and the fact that its mother died a fiery death during an ogre raid. He wished his friend, Zakruul, farewell and promised to meet him at the next Kosh'harg. The New Spirits Calgraz returned to Shadowmoon Village as a respected warrior, a few years into adulthood though nevertheless skilled, having proven himself countless times in Nagrand. He returned to the far calmer lifestyle of the Shadowmoon, fighting though not quite as much. As Korbis Blackblade grew older and well into his middle age, he retired from the frontlines and became a respected courier and messenger to the Shadowmoon. Calgraz eventually passed on Ashfang to Korbis, Calgraz not having much need of a wolf anymore. Gallery WoWScrnShot_092714_003446.jpg|Calgraz, finally apprehending the kill for his Om'riggor. WoWScrnShot 092714 001737.jpg|Calgraz and his new companion prepare to travel back to Shadowmoon Valley. Category:Orc Category:Warlock Category:Death Knight Category:Shadowmoon Clan Category:The Shadow Council Category:Horde Category:Krosh'narok Category:Back story